Solerius Cemeliensis, Anselmus (pseud.) [Raynaud, Theophile]: De Pileo, Caeterisque Capitis Tegminibus Tam Sacris, Quàm Profanis. Amstelodami [Amsterdam]: sumptibus Andreae Frisii, 1671. 12mo, pp. [xii], 379, [xxxix] + 4 plates, including 3 folding. Engraved title-page and second title-page with vignette, both part of first gathering. Many engraved illustrations, several of which occupy a full page. Bound without final blank, occasional light spots and smudges but generally clean internally. Recently rebound in dark brown calf, raised bands and brown gilt title label to spine, blind-tooled frame with corner tools to each board, endpapers renewed. Spine a little faded, very good indeed. A curious work on hats and headgear, pseudonymously published by the French Jesuit theologian Theophile Raynaud (1583-1663). The engraved title-page is signed by Romeyn de Hooghe; one folded plate is signed by Cornelis Galle. Ref: 51878

Spelman, Henry: Glossarium Archaiologicum: Continens Latino-Barbara, Peregrina, Obsoleta, & Novatæ Significationis Vocabula; Quæ post labefactatas a Gothis, Vandalisque res Europæas, in ecclesiasticis, profanisque scriptoribus; variarum item gentium legibus antiquis municipalibus, chartis, & Londini: excudebat Tho. Braddyll, & prostant apud Georg. Pawlett, & Guil. Freeman [...] 1687. Third edition. Folio, pp. [xxii], 576 + engraved portrait frontispiece. Title-page in red and black, woodcut initials, head- and tail-pieces, double-column text. Dampstain to gutter from preliminary blanks to first leaf of text, occasional light patchy toning, a few faint ink blots. Later 18th-century brown, lightly diced calf recently rebacked in goatskin with raised bands, black and gilt morocco title label. Gilt borders and armorial centrepiece to each board, all edges coloured yellow, marbled endpapers reinforced with cloth at hinges. Spine very slightly rubbed at head and tail, board edges worn and chipped, a little light crackling to surface, corners frayed. A very good copy, with interesting provenance. Armorial bookplate of Rugby School to ffep. Armorial gilt stamps to boards and bookplate to front paste-down, all of Sir Simon Richard Brissett Taylor, 2nd Baronet of Lysson Hall, Jamaica (1783-1815). He was nephew and heir to Simon Taylor (1740-1813), planter and slave owner who was at the time of his death one of the richest and most powerful men in Jamaica. Uncle and nephew were very close; an enormous amount of correspondence between the two still exists and is now housed at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies (University of London). Simon R.B. Taylor's library was eventually auctioned by R.H. Evans on 3rd June 1833. This setting of the title-page has 'auctior' in the edition statement and the second line of imprint ends 'Free-'. Another setting has 'auctor', and the second line of the imprint ends 'Freeman;'. Sir Henry Spelman (1563/4–1641), celebrated historian and antiquary, published the first part of this work (covering the letters A-L) in 1626 as Archaeologus. He had moved to London in 1612 and found himself part of an encouraging community of fellow scholars such as John Selden and in particular Sir Robert Cotton, whose extensive library he was allowed to use. Spelman's work required him to make sense of the meaning and usage of historic terminology used by the church and in common law, particularly Latin and Anglo-Saxon terms. It was this need that prompted him to begin work on what was to eventually become Archaeologus. Publication of the work, for which Spelman bore the full cost, was encouraged by a number of scholars including Peiresc, to whom Spelman sent samples prior to its release. The finished glossary 'encompassed the study of the usages, offices, ranks, ceremonies, and rules in the medieval church and law in the context of the words used in Europe' (ODNB). A great deal of Spelman's work remained incomplete or unpublished at the time of his death in 1641. William Dugdale (1605–1686), who had met Spelman in 1638, completed and saw to the publication of the remainder of the glossary, which first appeared as Glossarium Archaiologicum in 1664. ESTC R10264; Wing S4926 Ref: 51877

Spencer, Nathaniel, pseud. [Sanders, Robert]: The Complete English Traveller; or, a new survey and description of England and Wales. Containing A full Account of whatever is Curious and Entertaining In The Several Counties of England and Wales, The Isles of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, And other Islands adjoining to, and dependant o London: printed for J. Cooke, 1771. First edition. Folio, pp. iv, [iv], 696, [xii] + engraved frontispiece, 3 folding engraved maps, 57 engraved copper plates. 11cm closed tear to the largest map, fortunately only affecting the 'Northern Ocean' and stopping at the coast. Final 4 leaves repaired, the last 2 extensively, though the text remains legible. Occasional spots and smudges, some pale ink blots, a little light dampstaining to top corner of first few leaves. Contemporary calf, rebacked, red gilt morocco spine label. Endcaps very worn, upper joint splitting, rubbed, corners wearing, endpapers renewed. Earlier repairs beginning to deteriorate, but still a good, sound copy. Large armorial bookplate of Major Philip E. Back to front paste-down. 'Sanders (c.1727–1783), a writer and compiler of biographies, actually began his career as an apprentice comb maker. His passion for reading consumed his free time, and coupled with an extraordinary memory meant that he could spend his nights studying Latin, Greek, Hebrew, mathematics, and history. He moved to London in about 1760 and made his living there as a hack writer. After about four years in the capital he began compiling criminal biographies; these were first published in numbers, and then as The Newgate Journal, or, Malefactor's Bloody Register (5 vols., 1773). He was employed by George Lyttelton, first Baron Lyttelton in 1769 to correct for the press the third edition of his History of the Life of King Henry II. Sanders published The Complete English Traveller under the pseudonym 'Nathaniel Spencer', issuing it in 60 weekly numbers. A hefty travel guide, it was based partly on his own experience but was also informed by the travel writings of John Ray, Daniel Defoe and John Pennant. 'Sanders, who had a wife and five children to support, was always impoverished; he was described by the bookseller Henry Lemoine as 'one of the sons of misfortune, who, with a share of learning that might have entitled a less voluminous writer to a name among the literati, never emerged from obscurity' (GM, 311).' (ODNB) ESTC T124249 Ref: 50828

Statius, Publius Papinius: (Stephens, Thomas, trans.:) An Essay Upon Statius: or, the Five First Books of Publ. Papinius Statius his Thebais. Done Into English Verse by T.S. With the Poetick History Illustrated. London: printed for Richard Royston, 1648. First edition. 8vo., pp.[xiv], 152 including portrait frontispiece. Bound without preliminary blanks. Woodcut headpieces. Small burn hole to leaf C4 affecting a couple of lettters, a few small spots and smudges. 19th-century tan polished calf, neatly rebacked with original spine retained, two black morocco and gilt labels to spine, edges sprinkled grey, some pencilled bibliographical notes to endpapers, A few scrapes to lower board, corners a little worn, but still very good. Bookplate of Christopher Rowe to front paste-down. From the library of Thomas Park (1758/9–1834), antiquary and bibliographer, with his signature to the title-page but sadly without the heavy annotation for which he was known. The first translation of Statius into English. Stephens (d.1677), headmaster of the grammar school at Bury St Edmunds, claims in the prefatory material that the translation is purely for use by his students. Indeed, it does serve to as introduction to Statius' poetry during a time 'increasingly hostile to his aesthetics as well as to his politics'. However, this claim is shown to be a little disingenuous, as Stephens' Royalist sympathies are quite apparent in his translation. He 'seems to have seen in Statius' Thebaid a poem for his times that, translated, could provide an oblique commentary on English politics and the crisis of monarchy.' (Brill's Companion to Statius, p.603) This work appears at a fraught point in the career of its publisher Richard Royston, 'staunch supporter of the church and the crown'. Imprisoned in the Fleet from July to October of 1645 for issuing an anti-parliament parody of Robert Ram's Soldier's Catechism, by 1648 he was embroiled in the controversial publication of Eikon Basilike, allegedly written by Charles I during his incarceration. 'Royston's involvement with the publication had begun earlier and by the end of 1648 he contrived to get Eikon into print, using a series of printers, and began distributing it. Although it has been suggested that he was imprisoned for publishing the King's Book, there is no evidence of this. However, in October 1649, nine months after the execution of Charles I, Royston was called before the council of state and was bound in £500 to appear 'when required, and not to print or sell any unlicensed books or pamphlets in the meantime' (CSP dom., 1649–50, 524).' (ODNB) ESTC R21944; Wing S5335 Ref: 51516show full image..

Stillingfleet, Benjamin (trans.:) Miscellaneous Tracts relating to Natural History, Husbandry, and Physick. To which is added the Calendar of Flora. London, Printed and sold by R. and J. Dodsley. 1762. 8vo., pp. xxxi [i] 391 [i] + 11 plates. Light toning, a little spotting, one gathering slightly proud, a couple of marginal pencil notes. Slightly later tan calf, rebacked preserving original spine and endpapers, spine in six compartments with raised bands, new red morocco label, gilt decoration (now darkened and chipped), old scratches to boards since polished. Ownership inscription of J. Cooke Garborough to upper pastedown. A collection of papers translated by Stillingfleet from the 'Amoenitates Academicae', including Linnaeus on 'the necessity of travelling in one's own country', J.G. Bayerstein on the improvement of physick, Barck on foliation, Gedner on curiosity, and Stillingfleet's own observations on grasses (with illustrative plates). The 'Calendar of Flora' is partly extracted from Theophrastus. ESTC T81085. Ref: 28114

Stukeley, William: An Account of Richard of Cirencester, Monk of Westminster, and of his Works: with his Antient Map of Roman Brittain; and the Itinerary thereof. Read at the Antiquarian Society, March 18, 1756. London: printed by Richard Hett: and sold by Charles Corbet, 1757. First edition. 4to, pp. 94, [ii] + folding map, + blank leaf to front and rear. A few woodcut initials and decorations, facsimile of part of an original MS to final leaf. Blank leaves foxed and a little tattered at edges, first and final few leaves toned at edges (seemingly acid transfer from a previous leather binding); map a little creased at head and tail edges, with 75mm closed tear along one fold and short closed tears at each end of gutter attachment. Recently rebound in dark green library buckram backed with dark green textured sheep, gilt title to spine, new endpapers with cloth-reinforced hinges. A very good copy in an incongruent but very practical binding. Library code in red ink to title-page. To title-page verso, armorial bookplate of 'A. Gifford, D.D. of the Museum'. Baptist minister Andrew Gifford (1700-1784) was assistant librarian at the British Museum from 1757 to 1784. He left many of his books, and other objects, to the Baptist College in Bristol. 'In 1747 Stukeley received a letter from a young Englishman named Charles Bertram, resident in Copenhagen, informing him of his discovery of a medieval copy of a previously unknown Roman map and itinerary of Britain, allegedly made by a fourteenth-century monk of Westminster. Stuart Piggott has described this episode as 'one of the most audacious and successful literary forgeries of the eighteenth century' (Piggott, William Stukeley: an Eighteenth-Century Antiquary, 127). Although Stukeley attempted to purchase the (non-existent) manuscript of De situ Britanniae for the newly opened British Museum, the amicable correspondence between him and Bertram did lead to the publication of Stukeley's An Account of Richard of Cirencester, Monk of Westminster, and of his Works (1757) and Bertram's Britannicarum gentium historiae antiquae scriptores tres (1757, including authentic works by Gildas and Nennius). Bertram's forgery as disseminated in these two books was a great success, and De situ was considered an authentic source for Roman Britain (it was even used in part by Edward Gibbon). The forgery was not fully discredited until 1869.' (ODNB) ESTC T68353 Ref: 51077

[Terence] Terentius Afer, Publius: Comoediae. Birminghamiae [Birmingham]: Johannis Baskerville, 1772. First Baskerville edition. Large 4to, pp. [ii], 364. Pp.203,299 misnumbered 303, 283 respectively, as usual. Title-page recto and final leaf verso lightly toned, occasional light foxing, a few faint smudgy marks. Late 19th- or perhaps early 20th-century brown polished and sprinkled sheep, gilt spine with raised bands and burgundy morocco title label, plain double-fillet borders, a.e.g, marbled endpapers. Edges and raised bands a bit rubbed, some wear to joints and corners but still a very good, handsome copy. Tiny bookbinder's stamp reading 'Bound by Birdsall. Northampton & London' (1792-1961) to tail edge of ffep verso. A few small bookseller's notes pencilled to front endpapers. First Baskerville edition of Terence's Comedies; they were printed on the press' better 'Writing Royal' paper and sold for a Guinea each (a 12mo. was produced in the same year on cheaper paper). Terence (d. 159 B.C.) was born into slavery at Carthage and brought to Rome, where he was freed, taking his old master's name. His six comedies, which stand out for their particular naturalistic style, were admired right through the Middle Ages for their moral arguments, and were still on school curricula in the nineteenth century. Gaskell, 'Baskerville', * 46 (p. 58). ESTC T137489. Dibdin (4th edn.) II 477. Schweiger III 1070. Graesse VI.2 61. Brunet V 718. Ref: 51890